Campaign for treeworkers

In March 2009 in Sapa, a Vietnamese market in Prague 4, the firm Affumicata organized a recruitment of workers to plant trees in Czech forests. Hundreds of Vietnamese workers, who had lost their jobs in the industrial sector due to the economic crisis, accepted the job offer. However, they got paid just for a part of the job or received only small advances of salary insufficient even to buy enough food. These practices were repeated in the year 2010 when the same company or firms under new names hired workers mostly from Rumania and Slovakia. They were working on public tenders won by the forestry giant Less & Forest s.r.o.

The case is followed by the Initiative for labour migrants' rights, Initiative No racism!, La Strada Czech Republic, o.p.s., Multicultural Center Prague and their supporters. Together they strive to get back the unpaid salaries for the hired workers, to press for the investigation of the case and to stop further exploitation of foreign workers in the State forests by the same firm. Almost eighty former employees are represented by three Prague lawyers. The companies Affumicata and Wood Service Prague are estimated to owe about 2.5 million CZK just to these workers.

This section which will provide you with updates on the case was created with the financial support of the U.S. Embassy in Prague.

Articles

Romanian workers in the Czech forestry sector: a follow up
25. 10. 11 | Simina Guga

An Interview with Silviu Taras, the deputy mayor of Romanian town Chichis
24. 10. 11 | Ryan Scott

A call against the abuse of migrant forest workers in Czech Forests
18. 10. 11

Romanian, Hungarian and Slovak Workers Recruited for a New Season in Czech Forests
24. 5. 11